Artificial abdomen for comedians and others.



APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 24, 1913.

- Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

WITNESSES ATTORN EY RRIS PETERS +10" PHOTO-LIT .ijoiruwoonann SIMMONS, or OZARK ALABA Iv IA.

ARTIFICIAL; minor/LEN FOR coMnnIANs AND OTHERS.

T uZZ whom it m ag concemr A a Be itknown that I, J OHN WV. SIMMONS,

. a citizen of the'United States, residing at Ozark, in the county of Dale and State of Alabama, have invented a newand useful Artificial Abdomen for Comedians and Others, of which the following is a specification. I

' This invention has reference to improvements-in artificial abdomens for comedians use, and also useful for other purposes, and

its object is to provide a means-for ohang ing the normal appearance ;of the body eitherto producea comical effect or for disguise. v i

The invention comprises an inflatable and deflatable container or bagshaped to fit the front of the body of a person and to be worn under the outer clothing and which may be gradually inflated to give the appearance of increasing girth, the device being providedwith Waist and shoulder straps for its attachment to the body, and with means for attaching a container witha supply of air or other gas under pressure and with meansfor permitting the escape of the air or. other gas under pressure contained within the bag -when it. is desiredto deflate the device.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part" of this specification, with the further understanding thatwhile the drawings show a practical form of the invention the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no. material departure from the salient features of the invention. r

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device in the inflated conditions Fig. 2 is a longitudinal front to rear section'thereof. Fig. 3is a front view of the device. 1 Referring to the drawings, there is shown a bag 1 of generally semi-ovate form and madeup of a seriesof connected bands 2 of suitable material such as rubber cloth or rubber covered cloth, cemented at the edges to succeeding ones and suitably shaped for the purpose. The larger portionof the bag is provided with aback or end piece which may be so shapedas to provide a i I: 7 Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Application filed September 24., 1913. serialize. 731,647.

I Patented Dec. 1,1914.

slight concavity to fit more or less snugly to the body of the wearer over the abdomen and chest to such extent as may be desired. In order to attach the device to the body of the wearer there is provided a waist strap 4 connected at one end to one side of the body end, that is, the portion toward the body of the wearer,and this strap at the end remote from that attached to the device is shown as provided with a buckle 5, while an additional perforated strap 6 is c0nnect-.

ed to the other side of the device opposite the connection of the main portion 4 of the strap, so that the members 4 and 6 constitute a waistband or strap designed to hold the device snugly to the wearer. In order to position the device lengthwise of the body of the wearer shoulder straps 7 are connected totheband {l and each strap terminates in a buckle 8 while that end o fthe device constituting the upper end in use has straps 9 adapted ,to the buckles 8 and permitting.

the proper adjustment of the device to the body of the wearer. At suitable points there. is provided an inlet nipple 1 0 and an outlet nipple 11 and these nipples may contain valve structures suchasare customarily employed in. pneumatic tires or any other suitable valve structure maybe used. There is also provided a container 12 constructed toreceive a supply of air or gas under suit-. able pressure,-and sucha contamer may be bought upon the market with a supply of gas sufiicient to inflate the artificial abdomen 1 at least twice. This, however, does notpreclude the use of containers made especially for the device, and of either larger or smaller capacity, if such be desired. The container 12 may be of a size to be carried upon the person out of sight of observers, and such containers to be found upon the market are light and unobtrusive. In order that the fluid supply container 12 may be carried at any convenient point there is provided a flexible hose 13 adapted to be connected at one end to the container and at the other end to the nipple 10,'and a valve structure 14 is provided on the container 12 so that the supply of fluid under pressure may be controlled as desired. Those containers to be found upon the market are provided with valves 14:, so that the valve requires no further description and may be replaced by any suitable structure. a

The artificial abdomen device may be made of silk cloth rendered air tight by rubber or other coating, or may be made of other types of cloth or material, and if made of silk is both strong and very light in weight and, moreover, is highly flexible and will'collapse into an unnoticeable size and,

, furthermore, may be readily folded into .a

very small compass for transportation when not in place upon the body of the wearer.

For comedians use the device may be in-f flated before the, act or during the act, anc

if used during an act, say, during a repre-' sentation of eating, the device may be inflated slowly, much to the mystification of the observers. Again, the device may be used for disguise. For instance, a detective having the device under the outer clothing could quickly change his bodily shape to such an extent as to be completely deceptive and prevent recognition, since the similitude to the natural bodily shape maybe exact.

' When the device is used for comic purposes it may be so constructed as to'produce abnormal shapes when inflated, or it may follow quite closely natural shapes of cor-. p'ulent persons. i

The device and its attachments can be all hidden from View, and hence a sudden on gradual change in the girth of the person 1s very mystifying to those unaware of the manner of producing the eflect, and so the device is well adapted to the comic stage.

When deflated the amount of space occupied by the collapsed device is so small that its.

presence is unnoticeable. The same mysterious and unexplained efl'ect can be pro ,duced by the wearer of the inflated device manipulating the exhaust nipple or'nozzle 11 to permit the escape of the compressed fluidand the nipple 11 may be so located as to be readily reached bythe hand of the operator as by wayof a pocket, so that the 0b servers are unaware as to how the collapsing effect is brought about. The mystery may be further enhanced by a reinflating and a repeltition of the collapsing, if such be desire ..W t S.1a m d -s=+ 1. A meansfor the purpose described,

comprising a bag of semi-ovate form when inflated, with one face concave, a container for compressed fluid, a connection for coupling the container to thebag for itsv inflation, and means for the deflation of the bag separate from. the means for its inflation, said inflating and deflating means being located to permit their manipulation without exposure to view. 7 a

A' means for. the purpose described comprising an inflatable and deflatable bag shaped to fit over the 'abdominal portion of the human body and provided. with means for attachment to the'human body,said bag having separate inlet and outlet meansfor compressed fluid, and a container for compressed fluid provlde'd-withga connection to the inlet of the bag 'and controllable means pressed fluid provided with controllable means for its connection with the bag for the inflation of the latter, said contai'nerbe' ing ofa sizeand shape to be carrled out of view upon the person of the wearer of the bag. I 1 g In testimony, thatI claimthe foregoing as my own, I havehereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WOODARD SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

Rom. ROY PIPPIN, G. E. MANCILL,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ra tent s, Washington, D. C. 

